Alignment is critical for full swing shots, pitching, chipping and putting. Let’s take a look at various options for alignment and setup at the range or on the practice green.
If you watch videos by Sir Nick Faldo, he always talks about laying a club down for alignment. I did the same thing for a long time.
Then, I started buying alignment rods and folding alignment rods. After awhile I bought a Rimer 2.0 alignment device. For range mats I bought Tee Claws.
Then one day I was looking online and noticed you can by a bunch of driveway markers for about a dollar and a quarter a piece.
It was a lesson learned, but everything has a purpose and value.
Parallel to your aim line
• Yellow rods – ★★★ They work great for alignment. I set up with several. One for my feet, one for my target line and one stuck in the ground about 10 yards in front of me.
The setup I use and learning how to trust your intermediate target is shown in the following video.
Take a look at the Mike Malaska video called Training Your Eyes And Body To Overcome Parallax.
• Driveway markers – ★★★ work the just as well.
• The Rimer 2.0 Ball Position Trainer by Carsley Golf – ★ Was purchased to try after watching some videos.
The device is about shoulder width long and has a maker that slides back and forth. The idea is to set the marker in a specific place for full shots, pitches, chips, and putts. There are numbers printed on the top for reference.
It’s made well and comes with a cloth case.
I’m not sure it’s for me.
I like to mentally visualize golf balls in position.
In other words, driver off my left toe and wedges are right in the middle. Further, I play the 9, 8 and 7 iron one ball forward of middle, next clubs two balls from the center, etc.
The same with putting. I play the ball off my left heel. I don’t need a device for that.
Hitting off mats
I like to hit off mats when the grass driving range gets all chopped up from lots of divots.
Quite a few range mats already have lines on the. I have taken a couple alignment sticks with me.
I found something I like better than sticks when hitting off mats.
The Tee Claw – ★★★ Allows golfers to use any golf tee (wood, plastic, broken) instead of hitting off of the dreaded rubber tube.
The Tee Claw package includes 4 claws and 5 lanyards. So I bought two sets and an extra box of lanyards. I’m sure at some point I’ll snap a lanyard or hit one with a club and damage it. So I have back up lanyards.
You can also make a chipping box or chipping ladder on the green with the lanyards. In other words, chip into the box or between rungs on the ground ladder.
The Stack and Tilt Grid
GOLFTEC also uses the Tee Claw products to set up their “Grid.”
Ball Position using the Stack & Tilt Grid